Trail Running and a Cozy Motel in Salida, Colorado

So I signed up for a trail run in Salida, Colorado – a half marathon to be exact. Fellow Life Busser, Lynda, ran the marathon (she is an ANIMAL). She is training for a 100 miler this summer so this was a training run for her. I know, I cannot relate either – hope she posts about it this summer!

I thought it was a good idea at the time the fee was paid in early December…and really, it ended up being a great idea regardless of the pain and agony felt today – tomorrow will be worse – boo. The run is called “Run Through Time” and takes you up about 1,600 feet on mostly single track, dirt trails for the half marathon and about 4,200 feet for the marathon. Yep, my legs are toast today and can hardly walk, but it was a beautiful day, a beautiful course and I feel accomplished! Extra bonus: no blisters were formed and no hips were broken.

I carried a bunch of stuff with me “just in case”. I didn’t bring the poles, but that Patagonia Houdini jacket was a life saver. Super light and it kept me warm when I needed it!

Views from the trail – heavenly….

The Town:

Salida is a small, artsy mountain town Southwest of Denver, Colorado – population ~5600. The starting elevation here is 7,000 feet. It’s not your typical touristy mountain town, which is why we love it so much. No glitz, no glam, just a bunch of people enjoying the outdoors!

Kayaking, Rafting, mountain biking, hiking, hot springs, skiing and fishing are the favorite things to do here. The Arkansas river flows through edge of town, which makes for some beautiful scenery.

If you are into art, there are tons of galleries or if climbing 14er’s (14,000 foot peaks) is your bag, it’s a great place to be as there are at least 6 or 7 close by.

This is a no frills city so if 5 star accommodations and restuarants are preferred, this may not be a great option for you!

Where to Stay:

Because Salida is a small, no-frills town, lodging can be a challenge. There are tons of airbnbs, but Sean and I decided to stay at a renovated 1950’s motel called the Amigo Motor Lodge. The minute I saw the photos on line and read their story, I was in love with this place. It was equally as charming in person.

I have a huge appreciation for attention to detail – everything is perfectly placed here. From the bathroom, artwork, bedding accessories, glassware, to the free coffee, yogurt and fruit in the morning, and the quotes on the marquis outside. They invested in this property and they did it right. The rooms are small as you would expect from a motel, but that didn’t bother us. Humor is a large part of their brand – which is a huge attraction!

More humor……he he

Bonus – they allow pups!

A place to chill for breakfast or any other time you’d like more space!

Nature survival instead of a bible….that’s a first!

They loaned us a 50’s cooler for some celebratory wine – another very nice touch!

Where to Eat favorites:

Dinner:

Our first night in town, we wandered the streets looking for carbs. We came across the town staple for Italian food – Amicas – which has been around for 10 years or so. It’s an excellent and mostly locally sourced Italian restaurant with my favorite – wood fired pizzas. Great beers on tap too. We had a simple pepperoni/mushroom thin crust pizza and a local IPA from Soulcraft brewing – delish. The only unfortunate thing was listening to the guy next to me giving advice on how to buy running shoes. It’s akin to me telling someone from Alaska, what to do there. UGH.

Breakfast x 2:

When you find a gem, sometimes you cannot stay away from it. We stumbled on a place called The Little Red Hen Bakery. Everything is made from scratch and sadly they only sell their amazing bagels on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Had I known that, I would have hoarded some for my freezer. Apparently, they sold out in 2.5 hours on Saturday morning, so I feel grateful we were able to experience the crispy on the outside, doughy on the inside bagels from heaven. They rotate the menu every day which keeps you coming back for more. The second time we were there, I picked up some cherry granola and a loaf of cinnamon bread – I didn’t need it mind you, but couldn’t help myself.

After reading this post, I am pretty sure we didn’t burn all of the calories we consumed. Looks like I will befriend the treadmill this week. Something like every day for the next year. Ha!

There is an amazing microbrewery in Salida for the next time you find yourself filing up on gas and beer there … Elevation Beer Co makes a great First Cast IPA. Eddyline Brewing in Buena Vista, just a few miles north of Salida, is also a great local microbrewery. Cheers to beer in Salida!!

Other than the run itself (haha), it sounds like a great weekend! And even the run sounds good except for the uphill part. 🙂 I love little towns, lodging, and breakfast spots like that. I’m going to put this place on my list for my CO trip!

I think you would really like it! The next store neighbor Buena Vista is really nice too if you have not been there – rafting mecca of CO. OMG. So many fun places to go in CO. I could talk about it for days. There is a book we use called John Fielders Best of Colorado. He highlights the best places for photography, but also talks about drives, and the mountain towns. So far, I have enjoyed all of his recs! Highly recommend!

You have to make sure you visit Salida on a trip to Colorado. Salida meets all of your faves … little town, lodging, and the worlds best pecan bars ever at The Red Hen, not to mention 360 degree mountain views. So much fun!!

Salida is so pretty! I love how you gave an oldy look to your pictures, it perfectly suits the scene.
Thanks for the tips in town and congrats on your running, you wild girl! I’ll let you do the running and keep focusing on those bagels 😉

I know! I need to get out and walk to before Mt Blanc! Ah! Found a 50k trail around Paris to hike on and discover the city from another vantage point! 😉 nothing high of course but it’ll have to do!
Stay fit!

Hmmm, a half marathon and now the treadmill! 🙂
Salina looks like a pretty and underdeveloped town. A perfect find, especially with that red hen bakery.
Motels are generally boring but your choice looks fun.

Salida is a true gem, a Colorado mountain town surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo range and the Collegiate Peaks range – many of these peaks are as high as 14,000 feet. It is still quite and peaceful and relatively undiscovered. The Red Hen Bakery also makes the most delicious sea salt pecan bars. True bits of heaven. They are alone worth the drive to Salida 🙂